Supporting-belt.



E. GUGGENHEIM.

SUPPORTING BELT.

APPLICATION FILED No.4, 1913.

lpjlQo Patented July 21, 1914.

`g/g/ 7 I @i5/f,

Tus Para EDGAR GUGGENHEIIVI, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIG'NOR T0 M. W. SCHLOSS MFG'. C0., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM COMPOSED OF MEYER SCHLOSS .AND EDGAR GUGGENI-IEIM.

SUPPORTING-BELT.

incassa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2t, 1914.

Application filed December 4, 1913. Serial No. 804,580.

vented certain new and useful Improvements inSupporting-Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to belts or bands to be worn around the' body at. the region of the waist for the purpose of sustaining and preserving' the natural shape of the figure. While the device is in the form of a belt or band, it is of considerable width and therefore partakes of the nature of waist or corset.

The primary object. of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is especially adapted for the prevailing fashions in womens wearing apparel, wherein it is of importance to retain the waist line at its natural size and to round out the figure in the regions immediately above and eX tending below the waist line so as to produce the effect of an uncorseted natural figure.

My invention is to be distinguished from an ordinary corset in that the latter is intended to compress the waist line and to give artificial shape to the portions of the body to which it is applied, such shape-being afforded by gussets or gores inserted in the structure of the corset. The device I have invented is unshaped with respect to the figure' of the wearer, it being a simple, straight band of considerable width' which surrounds the body and emphasizes its natural shape by reason of inherent elasticity of the band.

More specifically stated the invention consists of a straight Hat band unshaped as to the figure of the wearer and being elastic in a longitudinal direction, but provided with an intermediate longitudinal comparatively narrow zone or strip of less yielding nature than the remainder of the band, the entire band with its less yielding strip being of a size-to it the waist line of the wearer whereby, when it is applied to the body, the less yielding strip, which occurs lat the waist line, will not compress the waist to any substantial extent, while the upper and lower parts of the band which surround the portions of the body of larger circumference than the waist, will be put under tension and will exert a. certain compression upon those larger parts of the body which will serve to round out and enhance the natural shape thereof. The general result of the use of such a body supporter is to give the appearance of a normal'natural but uncorseted figure.

My invention will be more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawing; in which:

.Figures l and 2 are respectively front and side elevations showing portions of the hu* man body. with the improved supporting belt or band adjusted thereto; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the complete band as it appears when laid out Hat.

The device comprises a web, strip or band l, composed of textile fabric having rubber strands inclosed within it in the ordinary manner of making elastic webbing, so that the strip, as a whole, will be elastic in a longitudinal direction. The strip is comparatively wide being preferably from eight to ten inches across, so as to cover a considerable portion of the body and in that respect lis different from an ordinary belt which practically covers only the waist line. The strip is entirely free of gussets or gores which would tend to give it a shape of its own approximating that of the human ligure. In other words, the belt is a straight flat band. As shown it is provided at its ends with fastening devices 2 by which the ends may be joined together around the body of the wearer. A distinguishing feature of the band is that at an intermediate point between its upper and lower edges it is provided with a comparatively narrow zone 3 which is of less yielding nature than that of the remainder of the belt. This zone may be provided b v stitching a separate strap as shown in Fig. 3 to the face of the main belt, or it may be formed in the belt `itself during the process of manufacture thereof. rlhis less yielding zone extends preferably the full .length 'of the belt and is substantially equal in length to'that of the upper and lower edges of the band.

The belt may be provided with the usual hose supporting straps, such as the straps 4, which are located at the front` and 5 which are arranged at the sides. The front straps Vare preferably attached to a pad secured to the belt l at point 7 which will be located above the hips when the belt is in use, thus bringing the strain at the 'sides ral size of the waist, which is usually the smallest dimension of the body. The device is then adjusted to the body so that the less yielding zone 3 will coincide with the waist line. Thus it vwill be seen that since the size of the belt is the `saine as that of the waist, the waist line will not be compressed, but will remain at its natural size. Above and below the waist line, ho-wever, the body enlarges and since the main part of the belt is originally of the same size as the-waist line, all portions of the belt above and below the zone 3 will be more or less stretched, the result of which will be that the device will closely;y hug the surface' ofl the body above and below the waist line while preserving its natural shape or contour in those regions. By reason of the tension of this portion of the belt, it will serve to a certain extent as a reducer and the general effect will be to equalize the dimensions of the figure to that of the waist. rIhe pressure upon those portions of the body above and below the waist line will tend to force the loose flesh of the body toward the waist line but owing to the less yielding nature of that part of the belt at the waist line, the size of the waist will not be materially increased.

I olaimz-f p l. A low corset consisting of a flat body portion whose upper and lower edges are substantially parallel and unshaped to the figure of the wearer, said body portion being elastic in a longitudinal direction and provided in the upper portion and at substantially the waist line with a zone of elastic but less yielding nature than the remainder of the body portion for the-purpose set.

forth.

2. A low corset consisting of a flat body portion whose upper and lower edges are substantially parallel and unshaped to the figure of the wearer, said body portion being elastic in a longitudinal direction and pro; vided in the upper portion and at substantially the waist line with a zone of elastic 4but less yielding nature than the remainder of the body portion, and hose supporters attached to" the body portion at points below the said less yielding-zone.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR GUGGENHEIM.

Witnesses:

WALDO M. CHAPIN, JULE ZELENKO. Xxx 

